He Only Just Realized
by Rowena of Naxen
Summary: During a cold night trapped outside Districh 12, Gale reflects on his feelings for Katniss. // Written for the forum Starvation's one-shot competition; prompt: Inititation used as "beginning" . First THG fic, please review.


**This is my entry for the March One-Shot Hunger Games Writing Challenge over on Roaming Reming's forum Starvation. Prompt: Initiation, which I am using in the sense of "beginning".**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Suzanne Collins does.**

He Only Just Realized

"No!" Katniss exclaimed in fury, stomping angrily on the frosted-over ground. As Gale approached he heard the soft humming that meant the fence surrounding District 12 was turned on.

"We'll just have to wait," he said, sighing.

Katniss frowned, wrapping her arms around her. "My mother and Prim will worry," she murmured.

"They'll know what happened," Gale comforted her, coming up behind her and gazing through the chain-link at the snow beginning to fall on District 12. "It won't be too long. We can sit and wait."

"It's so cold," Katniss moaned. Gale wanted to put his hand on her shoulders, to try to rub her arms and warm her, but he wasn't sure how she would receive the gesture.

They put their mostly empty game bags on the frosty ground under a tree and sat down. Katniss was shivering, and the sky was getting darker. Hesitantly Gale watched her, wishing she weren't cold, nervous about her nearness. He had been noticing that lately—the way his heart sped up when he saw her, the kick of adrenaline when she moved near him, the goosebumps that formed on his skin whenever she touched him. Earlier that day she had fallen while climbing up the trunk of a tree, slipped when she tried to place her foot on an icy part, and when Gale had caught her every nerve in his body had felt as electrified as the fence surrounding District 12.

He knew what anyone else would have said it was—he was attracted to his best friend. But he didn't see how, after knowing her three years, he was only attracted to Katniss now. After all, he had met her when she was just a scrawny but determined twelve-year-old taking over the job of feeding her family.

Of course, she didn't look like a scrawny twelve-year-old any more. She wasn't typically beautiful, with gold hair or a delicate figure—she had dark Seam hair and was fit from hunting—but lately Gale had noticed how some of the boys followed her with their eyes when she walked by. It would have upset him if he hadn't been just as guilty of it, only he had to hide it, because Katniss was the no-nonsense type and would probably be nothing but embarrassed, embarrassed and horrified, if she found out Gale was attracted to her.

But it wasn't just that—it wasn't just attracting, although there was plenty, plenty of times when she was so close he could think only of kissing her. There was also a desire to protect her—he never wanted to see her hurt, cold, unhappy in any way—and an irrational wish to always make her happy. It was irrational because they lived in the Seam, the worst place in the District, and probably always would. There were even fewer smiles than there was food among Seam adults, and they were both quickly passing from childhood to adulthood—already had when they took the burden of feeding their families. But Gale wanted to see Katniss smile and laugh—he wanted to be the one making her smile.

She began to shiver more violently, and he realized she had fallen asleep. Any other time he would have woken her—falling asleep outside in the snow was a good way to get hypothermia—but she needed the rest, and he was there to make sure she didn't get too chilled. He pulled her nearer hesitantly—even though he knew she was asleep he was frightened of what her reaction would be—and wrapped his arms around her, trying to share some of his body heat so she wouldn't be quite so chilled.

The snow fell in light flurries around them, and even though the moment was all wrong—they were outside District 12 when they should be inside, and it was snowing when the sky should have been clear—just for a second Gale felt like there couldn't have been a more perfect moment.

After the fence turned on again, he woke Katniss and they crawled back into District 12, Gale entered his house to find Hazelle waiting up for him.

"What happened?" her kind face was filled with worry for her son.

"The fence turned on, and we were stuck on the other side. We had to wait it out in the snow."

Hazelle frowned. "That must have been uncomfortable."

Gale nodded. "It was. Freezing, actually." He started toward the room he shared with his siblings.

"Then why are you smiling?"

Gale turned back to see his mothers teasing smile. He shook his head. "It's just—I only just realized something."

"What?" Hazelle asked, though she already knew.

Gale shook his head again. "Nothing important."

Hazelle watched her eldest son walk out of the kitchen and couldn't help but smile. She was sure it wasn't 'nothing important'—in fact, she was sure it was very important.

She got up to blow out the candle she had kept out, and in the dark almost laughed at how long it had taken. _He only just realized that he loves Katniss._

**Please forgive any major spelling/grammar mistakes, it is very late (9:15 pm) as I post this, but still March, so it counts! (Told ya I would do it Kate!) Again, head over to Roaming Reming's forum Starvation to enter the April competition, read the other fics written for March, or chat about the books. Also, please leave a review telling me what you think. Thanks! -Rowena**


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